Ready Steady Cook
by fakeditfromthewordgo
Summary: Isabelle decides to cook a meal for her and Simon, but it doesn't go quite as planned, and Simon has to use all his diversionary tactics... Fluff, one-shot.


Simon checked the time again: it had been at least fifteen minutes since Isabelle had last poked her head out from the kitchen. He already had his suspicions she was a total mess, but he would never voice them: she'd been so excited when he'd agreed to let her cook for him. He was beginning to wonder why he had: he had no real wish to get food poisoning, and it had taken him months to learn how to eat human food again. It gave him no benefits, but it did mean he could enjoy Clary's home-made, strawberry-sauce-covered, hundred million calorie ice-cream sundaes. Though he got the feeling that Isabelle's food wouldn't be something he would enjoy.

"Izzy?" He called tentatively: the last time he did, she nearly bit his head off. He dreaded what he did to others, she was meant to love him.

"I'm fine!" She shouted back, "Just plating up!" As if to confirm this, there was the clash of crockery and cutlery emitting from the kitchen.

"Do you want any help?" Simon braced himself.

"NO!" Isabelle yelled loudly, as Simon heard a plate smash on the floor. "It's okay, I can fix that!" She called in a much sweeter tone of voice. Simon couldn't help but smile, shaking his head.

Isabelle surveyed the mess in front of her: there was food covering every surface possible, including the ceiling; several failed pancakes were hanging down from it, just waiting for Isabelle to move under them so they could fall all over her immaculately arranged dark hair. She'd taken even more time than usual getting ready for tonight, taking Simon's opinions on her previous attire into special consideration. A plate lay in pieces on the floor, and the 'amazing' meal she'd made was still in the oven tray. It was burnt, but it wasn't half as bad as anything else she'd cooked earlier. Burnt pans were scattered around the room: she made a mental note to apologise to Simon's mother and pay her for the damage she'd caused. She took another two plates out carefully, and piled some – strangely dark – pasta on each, before checking her outfit was absolutely perfect.

Tonight, her ebony hair was pulled back into a tight bun, save from two soft curls that framed her made-up face perfectly. She'd threaded elegant silver beads intricately through her hair that matched her dress perfectly. The dress itself had a fitted bodice, shimmering with the same silver beads strung through her hair, and a long, flowing skirt caressed her ankles gently, the same colour of the moon. Wherever she moved it looked like the dress was emitting a soft light, illuminating her like the moon. Normally thick with pink blusher and red lipstick, tonight her face looked almost bare, despite the work she'd put into it; she was going for the 'au natural' look, something she knew Simon appreciated in a girl. Plus, his face wouldn't be covered in lipstick when they kissed. Which was a bonus. Her lipstick tasted horrible, Simon often complained.

She smiled, smoothed her skirt and wiped off the small smear of tomato sauce just below her left eye, picked up the plates waitress-style and flounced back into the dining room where Simon was slumped. He sat up quickly when he heard her light footsteps, his eyes widening at her simple beauty. She looked... radiant, especially when she was smiling at him so seductively...

"Dinner is served." She grinned, and set a plate with... something on it before him before sauntering to to opposite side of the small, circular table, her hips swaying slightly. Simon smiled a little nervously.

"You look..." He was lost for words, his eyes raking over her again. The dress fit her like a glove, the bodice clinging to all the right places, the skirt flowing so gently at her feet... He pulled his eyes back to her face, pushing his glasses up his nose timidly. She smiled again, blushing slightly.

"Thanks..." Inside, she was buzzing. She _knew _he'd appreciate her efforts. She watched him spoon a forkful of pasta into his mouth timidly. His eyes bulged slightly as he chewed manfully, but he swallowed. "So, um, how'd you like it?" She was surprised by how nervous her voice sounded, and covered it with a broad, confident smile.

"Uh..." Simon tripped over his words. In truth, it was disgusting: some of the pasta was overcooked and hard, and the rest of it was undercooked and turned to mush on his fork. She'd also managed to burn the sauce, which was quite an achievement, even for Iz. But she was already gathering up a forkful, she'd know if he lied, but how could he hurt her feelings when she was looking at him so hopefully with those beautiful, deep chocolate eyes? He couldn't. He'd just have to distract her... "Hey, did you notice I got new glasses?"

Isabelle's fork paused just before it entered her open mouth. She placed it back down on the plate, cocking her head.

"Did you?"

Simon smiled: he hadn't even been lying.

"Yup. What d'you think?" Isabelle looked at him for a while, considering.

"I think I need a closer look..." Simon laughed, opening his arms to invite her to his lap. She smiled as she nestled herself there, feeling the gentle comfort of his muscular arms around him. Vampire or not, Simon was _hers._ She laid her head on his shoulder, revelling in that one small fact that meant so much to her. They stayed like that for a moment, feeling exempt from time just for this one moment, in those few peaceful minutes, together. Then Isabelle poked her head up, looking at Simon's glasses carefully. Her face broke into a grin. "You know, I quite like those glasses." Simon's turn to grin.

"Yeah, me too. You know what else I quite like?" Isabelle raised an eyebrow questioningly. Simon just smiled.

"No..." Isabelle looked at him, her curious nature already burning her tongue. "What?" Simon laughed and a put a finger to his nose. Isabelle glared at him, but she wasn't quite ready to leave the sanctuary of his arms yet. "The pasta's gonna get cold, tell me!" That wasn't quite true: the pasta was freezing when she'd set it out. But if it got him to tell her...

"Looks like you're going to have to guess then..." Isabelle fixed him with another deadly glare, that, according to Jace, could kill a fly mid-flight. He was so complimentary sometimes. If only he was a fly...

"No way!" Simon waggled his eyebrows, causing Isabelle's glare to slip right off her face, giggling a little. "Come on, I wanna eat! If you're not gonna tell me..."

"Ah," Simon teased, his hands moving surreptitiously to her shoulders. "Maybe I shall and maybe I shan't, my fair lady."

"This just proves you've been watching way too much anime with Clary," Isabelle laughed at his affronted expression, "Or maybe you've been playing too much Warspell with Maia. I dunno. One or the other!" Simon gasped, holding in a giggle.

"War_craft,_" Isabelle just rolled her eyes. "And I think you'll find I always talk like this. I'm just that cool." Isabelle burst out laughing: Simon, cool?

"Yeah, total badass." She said sarcastically, enjoying his laugh. "You know, I refuse to waste this pasta..."

Simon thought quickly: his diversionary tactics had been doing quite well up until now; he was fresh out of ideas. His thoughts were distracted when Isabelle tried to squirm out of his arms, which automatically tightened.

"Oh no you don't," He grinned, rubbing her shoulders a little...

"_No!_" squealed Isabelle, kicking and thrashing, "SIMON!" Simon just grinned, rubbing more. He knew she was deathly ticklish around her neck. "Simon, _I'm warning you_!" He tortured her for a few more minutes, laughing at her colourful ideas of punishments. She could say what she wanted, but she was helpless when tickled. Finally letting go, Simon pulled her up close again.

"You want to know what I quite like?" His breath tickled her ear gently, almost sweetly.

"What?" She breathed, shivering slightly even though it wasn't at all cold. Simon's eyes were serious, she saw, as she craned her head back. His mouth moved to her cheekbone, planting a single kiss, sending delicious shock waves through her, before moving back to her ear.

"Domino's Pizza."

**A/N: Just a cute little idea that popped into my head, plus I think the SimonxIzzy MI fics are a bit lacking... anyhow, hope you liked it and please review! ^^**


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